NFL Player News
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Modest numbers in Week 11 win
Stafford completed 15 of 28 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 21-19 win over the Seahawks.
Stafford's yardage total dipped as both pass defenses stepped up in the battle for first place in the NFC West, but he avoided mistakes and improved his TD:INT to 22:0 over the past seven starts, while the Rams picked off Sam Darnold four times. Stafford threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams in the first quarter and a six-yard touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson in the fourth quarter. The Rams will likely lean more on Stafford's arm in Week 12 against a beatable Buccaneers secondary that just allowed six total touchdowns to fellow potential MVP candidate Josh Allen.
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Sam Howell QB | PHI
Eagles' Sam Howell: Familiar role for SNF
Howell (coach's decision) is inactive but operating as the Eagles' emergency third quarterback versus the Lions on Sunday Night Football.
Howell will once again operate as the No. 3 QB in Week 11, and he'd only enter the game if Jalen Hurts and Tanner McKee are forced out. The 25-year-old has yet to appear in a regular-season contest this year.
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Productive afternoon in loss
Mayfield completed 16 of 28 passes for 173 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding five carries for 39 yards and another score in the Buccaneers' 44-32 loss to the Bills on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Mayfield fought hard in trademark fashion all afternoon, often taking matters into his own hands when an aggressive Bills defense applied pressure. Buffalo's talented secondary did limit Mayfield to his third lowest passing yardage tally of the campaign. Mayfield connected with Sean Tucker for his one touchdown pass from 28 yards out, a play he preceded with a four-yard scoring run early in the second quarter. Mayfield and the Bucs next set their sights on a Week 12 road showdown against the Rams next Sunday night.
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J.J. McCarthy QB | MIN
Vikings' J.J. McCarthy: Struggles continue in Week 11 loss
McCarthy completed 16 of 32 passes for 150 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Bears.
McCarthy turned 19 first-half pass attempts into just 74 yards and threw two interceptions as the Vikings took a 10-3 deficit into the locker room. He didn't complete another pass until less than three minutes remained in the fourth quarter, but McCarthy then proceeded to engineer a go-ahead drive capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison, which gave the Vikings a 17-16 lead. Chicago answered with a game-winning field goal on the game's final play, overshadowing McCarthy's late-game heroics. The struggling McCarthy has thrown for 158 yards or fewer in four of five starts heading into a Week 12 trip to Green Bay.
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Kirk Cousins QB | ATL
Falcons' Kirk Cousins: Handles emergency duty in OT loss
Cousins completed six of 14 passes for 48 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and added one rush for two yards in the Falcons' 30-27 overtime loss to the Panthers on Sunday.
Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports Michael Penix suffered a knee injury in the third quarter on a hit he took on an incomplete pass. That led to Cousins seeing his second dose of extended action this season, and although his final line underscores the fact he was relatively ineffective, he did manage to lead Atlanta to two field goals, including the game-tying kick with 16 seconds remaining in regulation. If Penix ultimately is unable to suit up for next Sunday's road divisional clash against the Saints, Cousins would be in line to draw his second start of the season.
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Caleb Williams QB | CHI
Bears' Caleb Williams: No TDs in low-scoring win
Williams completed 16 of 32 passes for 193 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 19-17 win over the Vikings. He also rushed four times for 26 yards.
Williams finished without a touchdown pass for the third time in his last five starts while completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes for the sixth time in his last seven outings. He was credited with his league-leading fifth fourth-quarter comeback win of the season, but Williams didn't do much to earn this one, handing the ball off three times after Devin Duvernay's kickoff return got the Bears in range for a game-winning Cairo Santos field goal on the final play. Williams has an opportunity to pick up the pace as a passer in Week 12 against the inconsistent Steelers secondary.
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Joe Flacco QB | CIN
Bengals' Joe Flacco: Struggles in Week 11 loss
Flacco completed 23 of 40 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 34-12 loss to the Steelers. He added one rushing attempt for minus-1 yard.
Flacco threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins in the first quarter, but the Bengals didn't get their next points until a field goal in the third quarter, and Flacco threw a pick-six with Cincinnati in field-goal range on the drive after that field goal. The 40-year-old quarterback failed to throw multiple touchdown passes for the first time in five starts with the Bengals, and he posted his lowest total for passing yards since joining Cincinnati. The magic may be wearing off for Flacco, but with Joe Burrow (toe) reportedly targeting a Thanksgiving Day return in Week 13 against the Ravens, Week 12 against the Patriots might be Flacco's last starting opportunity.
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Jameis Winston QB | NYG
Giants' Jameis Winston: Serviceable in spot start
Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while adding three rushes for 10 yards and a touchdown in the Giants' 27-20 loss to the Packers on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Called on over Russell Wilson for a Week 11 spot start in place of Jaxson Dart (concussion), Winston delivered a competent performance and had the Giants in contention for an upset until throwing a late end-zone interception that appeared to be caused by the intended receiver cutting his route short. Winston otherwise displayed virtually no rust despite not having played all season prior to Sunday, and he connected with six different targets overall. Dart may be ready to return for next Sunday's Week 12 road showdown against the Lions, but Winston would step in again should the rookie need another week to clear concussion protocol.